All posts tagged: Japan

Talking in Japan. How much English is there and do I need to know Japanese?

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As English speakers we are incredibly spoiled when it comes to communicating in other countries. As the first or second language of so many places, it’s common to be spoken to in English as a tourist or to find English on signs and menus. But in Japan, it’s not quite as easy as that. Spoken Language, a sprinkle of English Japan is a very homogenous country, meaning that for 99% of the population Japanese is their first language. While some Japanese people may learn the odd English phrase, English is definitely not a part of day-to-day life. (Although Japanese people are also very humble and so would say they couldn’t speak English even if they had a decent grasp of it!) The exceptions to the rule are those who work with large numbers of tourists such as hotel staff and similar hospitality roles who will speak excellent English and likely other languages as well. Signs and Menus Road and railway signs will have the “romaji” version of names below the Japanese. Romaji simply means the …

5 Useful Things to Take to Japan

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1. A small hand-towel In Japan you’ll see tiny towels for sale everywhere. There’s a reason for that and I wish I’d known before we went. Japan might be home to the most technologically advanced toilets but don’t let that fool you. When it comes to hand drying, many of the bathroom in Japan are slightly lacking. There were multiple times I left a bathroom, wiping my wet hands on my jeans. It was only near the end of our trip that I finally purchased a hand towel and I guarantee it’s coming with us the next time we go. 2. Hand sanitiser This one goes hand-in-hand with the first (pun not intended). The bathrooms can be hit or miss when it comes to soap so this is a very useful purchase*. I kept a small bottle in my handbag and I lost count of the times I used it and I wouldn’t exactly call myself a germaphobe. 3. Medicines! My fiance got sick. Then I got sick. And it sucked. I reached the end of my …

Nara Park, Nigatsu-Do and the 5-story Pagoda

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As I already covered the Giant Buddha in a previous article, this one is going to cover the rest of the park. If you want to read about the Buddha or about the deer at Nara, you can find out about those by following the link at the side of the page. Using Tōdai-ji temple as a starting point, follow the path to the left, carrying on around the park. If you’re heading back towards the giant gate, you’re going the wrong way. The main path will lead you towards a shrine and more old buildings. It’s a nice area to take some photos or sit in the shade if it’s a sunny day. Continue in the same sort of direction and you’ll reach the next main building, Nigatsu-Do. On the side of the building are a set of stairs. By the point in our journey I was feeling tired, but I was determined to climb them. It was a great thing that I did, because the top floor of Nigatsu-Do has a balcony with …

What is Pocket WiFi and How Do You Get One?

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One of my favourite things about visiting Japan is this handy little box, the Pocket Wifi. You can rent one from a few different companies and most will let you pick yours up from the post office at the airport or deliver it to your hotel. Included in the package are instructions, packaging for when you return the device and of course the device itself. The one we got worked a bit like your router at home would. The instructions will tell you the name of the wifi and the password will be stuck on the device somewhere. Once you’re connected, that’s it! You’re free to surf the internet to you heart’s content. It’s tempting to make jokes about all those Snapchats and Instagram posts but honestly, Google maps will be your lifeline. One thing to bear in mind however, is the fact that the device has to be carried around with you. If you’re in a group this isn’t normally a problem as the radius is pretty decent. The only time it might be …

How to Use the Trains and Metro in Japan

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The rumours are true. Japanese trains always run on time. But that’s not all there is to know… What you need There are 2 things that will make train travel in Japan so much easier, 3 if you want to count your smartphone. Number 1 is a portable wifi box. For info on how to get one and how they work see this article right here. With access to wifi you will be able to use the wonderful app that is Google Maps. Train travel becomes a lot less scary when you have a full breakdown of train times, train numbers and changes. One thing I like to do on a route I’m unfamiliar with is to search for a journey but not start the navigation, because then you can follow yourself as you travel along the highlighted route. Number 2 is a Pasmo or Suica card. Similar to London’s Oyster card, they let you add credit on to them and you simply swipe in and out at the barriers in the train stations. The …